My fourth grade class, in cooperation with the high school science teachers, Matt Hellhake and Andy Cochrane, and their science students, will look into the secrets beyond the human eye. With the help of microscopes and telescopes provided through the McCall-Donnelly Education Foundation Grant,  high school students will partner with fourth grade students to view worlds that have inspired scientists and explorers.

The Powers of Ten grant propels human curiosity deep into the microscopic world of living organisms and launch the imagination into space. With powerful microscopes and telescopes, students can dial in mighty lens magnification to uncover the wonders of hidden worlds. These powerful tools take students into a world of discovery that effectively illuminates understanding.

Students will use the microscope to analyze the biology of the water in the fourth grade “Trout in the Classroom” tank. The nitrogen cycle in the tank is monitored with chemical indicators that hint at possibilities, but with microscopes students experience the world that exists beyond the ability of the human eye. With the use of powerful microscopes, students can see a world in action and journal about bacteria, analyze structure, calculate colonies, and design experiments for microscopic bacteria.

In contrast, students’ ability to see into space is also limited by the ability of the human eye. To effectively explore our solar system and planets, telescopic tools are needed. With the use of telescopes, students can more closely inspect the planets, analyze the planets similarities and differences, examine the space station while thinking about trips and payloads on space shuttles, encounter the phases of the moon, investigate the Milky Way, and document the constellations. Armed with powerful tools, students can immerse themselves into our solar system, planets and space mission exploration.  STAR Parties are being scheduled and a list of dates will be provided soon.